Baron Von Stueben

Fredrich Von Steuben was born in Magedeburg Prussia, on Nov. 15, 1730, the son of a Prussian army officer. At the age of fourteen he served as a volunteer in the army, at the siege of Prague. By seventeen, he was an officer. In 1762 he served Frederick the Great. Von Steuben became Grand Marshal at Hohensollern-Hechingen, where he received the title of Baron from their Prince. The Prince developed substantial financial problems, and the Baron had find new employment. He left Prussia due to sexual persecution, and was unable to resume his military career in the armies of France, Austria, or England (American Military Leaders). He arrived in Paris nearly penniless, but had the good fortune of being interviewed as a foreign aid by Benjamin Franklin, from whom he gained letters of introduction to Congress and Washington (American Military Leaders). They made a well-chosen decision to recruit him into the United States army to help train soldiers to fight against Britain. Success of the Continental army during the Revolutionary War was due to the training they received at Valley Forge from Baron Von Steuben.

Though originally the Prussian General Von Steuben had decided to turn down working for the continental army, he had to reconsider, upon learning that European authorities were going to sexually persecute him. However, Baron Von Steuben changed his mind and agreed to train the soldiers in the America Continental army, as an unpaid volunteer. He wasn’t yet aware of the hard work to be done. After some small lies by George Washington and Benjamin Franklin, word of Steuben’s past employments preceded him to Congress, gaining him quick acceptance. He then quickly joined the troops at Valley Forge in 1778, along with his servants Karl Vogel, Thevenaud de Francy, and Pierre Etienne du Ponceau, who remained Steuben’s adjutant until 1779 (American Revolution Vol. 2.). He saw the cold, disease-stricken, starved, and half- clothed, poorly supplied men, and became...